Four Seasons in New York — Gems of Japanese Music Vol. 13

CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing) invites you to discover traditional Japanese music by the acclaimed koto and shamisen player Yoko Reikano Kimura offered together with an exclusive taste of beautiful Japanese seasonal confectionary prepared by mochi Rin. This will be Vol. 13 and the first concert of the 2018-19 season of Four Seasons in New York — Gems of Japanese Music, which is supported by Mar Creations, Inc.

The autumn concert will be held on Sunday, November 4th, 2018 at CRS. Tickets are $30 and include wagashi (Japanese confectionary). Seating is limited and advanced purchased (online, by phone 212-677-8621, or in person at CRS) is strongly encouraged.

Program
Kumiuta: Shiki no Kyoku – Songs of Four Seasons – (by Yatsuhashi-kengyo)
Yuku Aki – Autumn passing – (by Kin’ichi Nakanoshima)
Usu no Koe (by Shourei YamatoⅢ)
Zangiku – Withering Chrysanthemum – (by Marty Regan)

“…Yoko Reikano Kimura, playing the shamisen and singing, is superb….” — New York Times
“…Kimura’s voice was rich and full-bodied ….” — KCMETROPLIS
“…Under Kimura’s practiced hand, there were also occasional dramatic and explosive passages. – Koto Concerto: Genji” — The NEWS GAZZETE

About “Four Seasons in New York – Gems of Japanese Music“
New York’s music scene reflects the diverse and vibrant culture of the city. Kimura, together with CRS (Center for Remembering and Sharing) and Mar Creation, Inc., started this concert series in the fall of 2015. As a Japanese instrumentalist, Kimura hopes to introduce the brilliance of traditional Japanese music, which is still being passed on to the new generations after many centuries. Over 30 works from the classical repertoire have so far been performed in the concert series, and from this season, the series will feature contemporary pieces as well. Come and experience the sounds of koto and shamisen and enjoy the taste of the four seasons here in New York!

Vol. 14 will take place on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 4 pm and Vol. 15 will take place on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at 4 pm.

Past performances: https://www.yokoreikanokimura.com/projects/fourseasons/

YOKO REIKANO KIMURA is a distinguished virtuoso of Japanese koto, shamisen performer and singer in both traditional and contemporary music. Kimura has concertized in about 20 countries around the world based in New York and Japan. Following her studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts and the NHK School of Traditional Japanese Music, she studied at Institute of Traditional Japanese Music, an affiliate of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Japan. Kimura was awarded a scholarship from the Agency of Cultural Affairs of Japan. Her teachers include Kono Kameyama, Akiko Nishigata and Senko Yamabiko, a Living National Treasure. Awards include the First prize at the prestigious 10th Kenjun Memorial National Koto Competition and the First prize at the 4th Great Wall International Music Competition. Kimura performed at the Kabuki-za in Tokyo, accompanying Danjuro Ichikawa XII. Her performances have been broadcasted on NHK-FM’s Hogaku no Hitotoki, NPR’s Performance Today and WQXR. As a koto soloist, Kimura has performed Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji with the Euclid Quartet, Ciompi Quartet, Freimann String Quartet and the Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra. As a shamisen soloist, she performed Kin’ichi Nakanoshima’s Shamisen Concerto at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center, and performed with American Symphony Orchestra in Pietro Mascagni’s Iris. Kimura is a founder of Duo YUMENO, with cellist Hikaru Tamaki. The duo received the Kyoto Aoyama Barock Saal Award in 2015, and featured at Chamber Music America’s 2016 National Conference, and performed at the John F. Kennedy Center in 2017. In 2019, the duo will have its ten-year anniversary recital at Carnegie Hall.
Website: yokoreikanokimura.com | duoyumeno.com

mochi Rin creates bite-sized mochi desserts made with organic bean paste, seasonal fruits and flowers produced in NY. She presents a new type of mochi that doesn’t quite exist in Japan by infusing New York’s locally-produced ingredients with Japan’s popular traditional desserts —the stuffed mochi rounds, such as daifuku and sakura-mochi — and mixing in rin, the element of restrained grace.
Website: rin-nyc.com | https://www.instagram.com/rin_nyc